Area Special Education Cooperative

This group is extremely resourceful, compassionate, and collaborative. They go above and beyond to support the students and staff in our member districts. #WeAreASEC ASEC is looking to expand our team of School Psychologists. Are you a dedicated individual who wants to make a positive impact on student's lives? Reach out if you are interested in learning more! #JoinOurTeam #SchoolPsychologist

Patty is one of a kind! The support she provides students and staff across our 11-member districts is truly something special. #WeAreASEC

This morning our Year 1 New Teacher Cohort had the privilege to learn from Patti Liebswager, ASEC Orientation & Mobility and Assistive Technology Consultant, Katie Proulx, ASEC Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired, and Joann Papke, Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing. These ladies are so knowledgeable and passionate about what they do and we couldn't be prouder to have them on our team. #WeAreASEC

This week the 6th grade Language Arts class in Ada-Borup-West read The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. After reading the story in class, students were shown several support videos that explained braille, braille machines, Pro-tactile Signing, and several interesting facts about Helen Keller. To stimulate the experience of a person who is DeafBlind, the students wore blindfolds and earplugs. They were directed by others to complete an activity and were able to experience a small sampling of the challenges faced by people who are DeafBlind. An ABW student who is Deaf was able to fingerspell letters into the hands of her peers to simulate how Helen learned language. Helen Keller was an amazing woman, with incredible intelligence and insight. The class was grateful to have the opportunity to learn about the challenges others have faced and how they persevered to do great things. This is an awesome example of the constant collaboration between ASEC Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher Krystal Anderson, Special Education Teacher Tyelyn Erickson, and 6th grade LA Teacher Annie Goldader. Way to go, team! #WeAreASEC

Check out Deaf Hard of Hearing Teacher, Pam Vettleson with her poster presentation at the 2024 Association of College Educators – Deaf & Hard of Hearing (ACEDHH) Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. She presented her research on D/HH student perceptions of their Least Restrictive Environments in school. Way to go, Pam! We are so lucky you're on our team. #WeAreASEC

ASEC staff got together this month for team meetings, collaboration, and of course some fun. To end the day, they worked together to create sensory items to use with students. Our team is seriously amazing! We are proud of their hard work and positive attitudes. #WeAreASEC #teamwork #differencemakers

This year we are doing a book study using "Becoming Better Grownups". Yesterday we met virtually to discuss Chapter 6 and have some holiday fun. After all, "Better grownups are not too big, busy, or boring to play. They are playfully engaged with the world". -Author Brad Montague As the holiday season is upon us, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our team at ASEC. They are not all pictured here, but each one of our team members is dedicated, passionate, and works tirelessly to make a positive impact on students and their families across our eleven districts. #WeAreASEC

Look at this awesome group of professionals. This week the ASEC Related Services Team met to collaborate, learn together, and support each other. They are always thinking of ways to positively impact our students, families, and member districts. Keep up the great work! #WeAreASEC

Here's Executive Director Tiffany Litman and ECSE Teacher Kyle Behling attending the Division for Early Childhood's 39th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families in Minneapolis, MN this week. Our ASEC Team is always looking for professional development opportunities that will positively impact our students and their families. #WeAreASEC

Come check out the Grand Opening of the Family Resource Center. ASEC will be there, we'd love to see you! #WeAreASEC #resourcesinvestedinchildren

During the week of November 6-10th, we celebrate National School Psychologist Week! This year’s National School Psychology Week theme is “Let’s Grow Together,” inspired by the importance of personal and shared growth as individuals and school communities. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed socially, behaviorally, emotionally, and academically. They are important members of school safety and crisis teams, as well as CPI trainers. School psychologists have unique skills to assist students and staff in growing and working together while meeting the demands of school and life. Our ASEC school psychologists have helped facilitate positive change by improving school culture and advocating for school and individual needs. Please join us in recognizing our fantastic School Psychologists Terri Nelson, Maggie Mallory, Jenna Guttormson, Dr. Natasha Olson, and Tammy Hemmah, as well as our TelePsych Mike Sherman.

Last night the Transition Exploration Fair took place in EGF. ASEC partnered with EGF Public Schools, FRC, Polk County DAC, and Vocational Rehab Services to provide an opportunity for individuals ages 14-22 who are receiving Special Education Services to have fun and meet vendors who shared resources to transition from school to full lives in their communities. What an awesome event! #WeAreASEC

ASEC Assistant Director, Sandy and ECSE Teacher, Valerie met with ICCC Headstart staff in Oklee this morning. They presented on the referral process for IFSPs and IEPs as well as shared strategies for working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum. We are so thankful to have opportunities to build collaborative partnerships with individuals who also support our students, their families, and communities. #WeAreASEC

In recognition of National Physical Therapy Month, we would like to acknowledge and thank our Physical Therapist, Arlene Johnson, for making a huge impact on students, families, and educational teams. Arlene works with all eleven of our member districts. Her dedication and creativity in meeting the needs of all learners is truly spectacular. Thanks for all that you do every single day, Arlene! #WeAreASEC

Yesterday ASEC held our 2nd Due Process Bootcamp, focusing on the IEP. We had participants from all 11 of our member districts. There were tons of great ideas shared and collaborative conversations throughout the day with this awesome group of Special Educators and Related Service Providers. There was a total of 697 years of educational experience in the room. How amazing is that? We are already looking forward to our upcoming Evaluation Bootcamp! #WeAreASEC #lifelonglearners

This morning a student from Red Lake Falls Elementary was participating in music class by playing the bucket drum. Bucket drumming allows students to feel the rhythm and vibrations, enhancing their musical experience. When asked how the student feels about playing the drums, he shared, "I am deaf. I wear two cochlear implants. It makes me feel happy to play drums in music. It makes me a little nervous playing mine and my friend's compositions, but it is fun." #WeAreASEC #inclusion

This week was filled with Professional Development opportunities within Area Special Education Cooperative. Our Year 1 New Teacher Cohort met virtually, Year 2 New Teacher Cohort met at the ASEC office, and today we held our first Due Process Bootcamp: IEP Edition for veteran teachers who have at least 3+ years of experience in the field of Special Education. We appreciate our collaborative partnerships and love supporting our awesome Special Education Teachers and Related Service Providers in our 11 member districts. #WeAreASEC

This year our ASEC team is reading the book “Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly” by Brad Montague. We met virtually last week to collaborate and discuss our big takeaways from Chapter 1. We are missing a few, but we sure do have an incredible group of individuals who together make an absolutely outstanding team! #WeAreASEC #bettertogether #teamwork

Last week ASEC Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Valerie Shulstad was featured in the Red Lake Falls Gazette. Valerie was named September Educator of the Month. How cool is that? Check out this great article! We couldn't be prouder of you, Val! The impact our educators have on their students, families, and communities is pretty outstanding. #WeAreASEC

Yesterday, ASEC Educational Interpreter Danelle Klassy was a panelist for a virtual workshop hosted by MRID. The workshop focused on the role of educational interpreters and establishing healthy working relationships with classroom teachers and students. Thank you, Danelle, for continuing to work hard in your role while also making time to help others in the field of educational interpreting. We are looking to expand our team of Educational Interpreters. Reach out to learn how you could become a member of our already amazing team! #WeAreASEC